Purse light with closure operator controlled switch



Jan. 16, 1951 c JR 2,538,101

PURSE LIGHT WITH CLOSURE OPERATOR CONTROLLED SWITCH Filed May 17, 1946 ,21 J6\ g. j 201/. 247

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I'Il {3 //Z1 Jr llllllllllllllll/l/ Patented Jan. 16, 1951 umreo' STATES PATENT OFFICE PURSE LIGHT WITH CLOSURE OPERATOR CONTROLLED SWITCH Alfred n. Kelch, J12, Chicago, 111.-

Application May 17, 1946, Serial No. 670,432

(or. Mil-6.45)

I 3 Claims. I 1 I The invention relates to improvements in ladies purses, handbags, overnight bags or the like, but more particularly to those containers for personal articles such as keys, make-up kits and other articles necessary to the convenience and comfort of the possessor, who of necessity may be required to make selection of such articles where suitable light is not available; and has for its primary objects the provision of such a device which will be simple and compact in construction, economical to manufacture and highly efficient in use.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

The invention consists in the combinations and arrangements of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

The invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification and in which:

Figure 1 is a side view of such a purse equipped with such a light, and embodying the invention;

Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary portion of Figure 1 illustrating the novel arrangement of parts for the purpose;

Figure 3 is an enlarged section of the battery 2 and electric bulb housing;

Figure 4 is anend view of Figure 3 illustrating the means for mounting the housing within the purse, as attached to a handle shown in section adapted to serve as a substitute mounting therefor;

Figure 5 is a section taken on line 55 of Figure 2, illustrating a conventional slide closure operating mechanism arranged and adapted to serve in the dual capacity of closure member and switch for the light.

Figure 6 is a side view of Figure 5; and

Figure 7 is an enlarged top plan view of Figure 6.

The embodiment of the invention illustrated in the drawings comprises a purse I2 provided with the conventional slide closure l3 operated by the closure operating mechanism H to which is attached the pull tab l5. By pulling on the pull tab l5 in one direction the slide fasteners are arranged in engaged position by the closure operating mechanism I4, and by pulling the pull tab in the opposite direction the slide fasteners are freed from engagement and the purse is left open.

At the terminal l6 where the closure operating mechanism is stationed, when the slide closures l3 are disengaged, a pair of metal switch members I! and 3, which are separated by an insulating member l9, are arranged to cooperate with the said closure operating mechanism. When the closureoperating mechanism M, which is of metal, is moved over the switch members I1 and I8, suitable contacts to permit the passing of an electrical current are provided.

The switch members I! and 18 are connected at their bottoms to suitable wires 20 and 2| concealed back of the purse lining l I, which extends to approximately the center of the inner wall where each is connected to a snap fastener socket 22 and 23, carried by the lining H, as shown in Figures 2 and 5. The upper ends of the switch members (I and I8 are attached in the usual manner to the fabric members l3 of the conventional closure.

A flashlight housing 24, as shown in Figures 2, 3 and 4, is substantially of rectangular form, of even thickness, constructed from suitable plastic material for the. purpose.

The housing 24 is provided with a well 25 opening at one end thereof, adapted to receive a small electric dry cell 26. The well 25 is provided with a suitable cover 21 which is frictionally pivoted by suitable cooperative metal inserts 2'! embedded in the material, and is adapted to swing over the opening of the well 25 to retain the dry cell 25 therein. At the bottom of the well 25 a suitable metal insert 28 is arranged centrally therein, and provided with an inwardly projecting pointed pintle 23 arranged and adapted to contact the central terminal 30 of the dry cell 26.

At one side of the housing 24 a recess 3|. is provided which communicates with the well 25 at one side thereof, as shown in Figure 3. A suitable metal insert 32 adapted to receive the base of the flash light bulb 33 forms the side walls of the well 3|.

It is to be noted that when the dry cell 26 is in the well 25 and the light bulb 33 screwed into the recess 3| against the side of the dry cell 26 a dent is formed, preventing any rotary movement thereof.

Mounted in the back of the housing 24 are protruding snap fasteners 34 and 35. The fastener 34 is connected by a suitable wire 36 to the metal insert 23 carrying the pintle 29, and the fastener 35 is connected by a suitable wire 31 to the metal side wall 32 of the recess 3|. When the housing 24 is placed in position in the purse with the sockets 34 and 35 in engagement with the snap fasteners 22 and 23, means are provided whereby through the switch members I! and I8 and the metal operating member M, a simple and convenient means is provided for lighting the inside of the purse when open.

A suitable handle 36a constructed of electrically non-conductive material having a finger-hole 31a, is equipped with two snap fastener sockets 38, joined by a suitable wire 39. The sockets 38 (one not shown) are arranged in spaced relation and adapted to be connected to the protruding snap fasteners 22 and 23 attached to the housing 24. The arrangement is such that if and when it is desired to use the light outside of the purse '12, the housing 24 may be quickly detached from the sockets 22 and 23 and attached to the two sockets 38 of the handle 36a.

By this arrangement a closed circuit is established with the battery and bulb in operation. If other means are more convenient than the use of the handle 36, a key or other metal object may be used to close the circuit.

While I have illustrated and described a particular form of construction for carrying the invention into use, I do not wish to be limited to the precise details thereof, but desire to avail myself of such variations and modifications as may fall within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In combination with a purse having a slidable closure comprising a plurality of interengageable members arranged on opposite sides of the contacting purse closure elements; a slidable closure operating mechanism provided with a pull-tab, and comprising means for engaging and disengaging said interengageable members; a metal switch operating sleeve formed integrally with said closure operating mechanism extend-- ing forwardly thereof; the said metal sleeve having a substantially flat top and downwardly and inwardly extending side walls, there being a longitudinal slotted opening in the bottom of said sleeve adapted to pass outwardly of the side walls of said purse adjacent said interengageable members; a terminal switch body element fixedly attached to said purse inwardly of said purse in longitudinal alignment with said interengageable members; a pair of metal plates secured on opposite sides of a similar sized plate of insulating material within said terminal switch body; a pair of insulated wires, each attached to one of said metal plates by conventional metal plates 4 and extending outwardly therefrom within said purse; a flash light housing of insulating material having two protruding snap fasteners arranged in spaced relation and extending rearwardly therefrom; co-operating fasteners on the inner wall of said purse, each connected to one of a pair of wires extending outwardly from said terminal switch body; a dry cell well in said flash light housing arranged longitudinally thereof having a bulb socket communicating with said well at the side thereof having conventional means for retaining said bulb in operative contact with the shell of said dry cell; and wire means arranged within said housing arranged to connect the, base of said light bulb with said protruding snap fasteners carried by said flash light housing; and wire means connecting the center pole of said dry cell with the other protruding snap fastener.

2. The construction specified in claim 1 in which the said flash light housing body is provided: with an inwardly projecting pintle arranged to contact the center post of said dry cell.

3. The construction specified in claim 1 in which the said flash light housing is provided with a cover pivotally connected to said housing arranged and adapted to close the said dry cell well.

ALFRED H. KELCH, JR.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,035,879 Hubert Aug. 20, "1912 2,187,308 Fuss Jan. 16, 1940 2,304,387 Whiting Dec. 8, 1942 2,320,409 Cohen l June 1, 1943 2,331,669 Entriken Oct. 12, 1943 2,334,084 Gold et al. Nov. 9, 1943 2,400,974 Berman May 28, 1946 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 351,500 England June 23, 1931 719,204 France Nov. 14, 1931 

